Copyright Athlon Sports
While ESPN and YouTube TV remain at odds following the network’s removal of its content from the latter’s platform, significant changes are afoot. The Worldwide Leader in Sports has taken a kinder view on betting in recent years and, as such, agreed to a 10-year deal worth $2 billion with PENN Entertainment in 2023. As of this Thursday, however, that deal is no longer. ESPN and Penn have agreed to end their sports betting partnership, and the ESPN Bet bookmaker will officially shut down in December, with eight years remaining on the deal. The above hardly means that ESPN is done with betting, though. Shortly after the network confirmed it was parting ways with PENN, it announced a multi-year deal with DraftKings. “Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a release. “Working with DraftKings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business. We are excited about this new collaboration with DraftKings.” Starting on December 1, DraftKings will be the official sportsbook and odds provider for ESPN. The companies will have a full rollout of the betting firm’s products in early 2026, including, of course, a sportsbook, daily fantasy, and DraftKings Pick6. Meanwhile, ESPN and YouTube TV don’t appear any closer to a resolution.
